Page 127 of All's Hell That Ends Well

“This here,” Lucifer ground out, “isn’t him.” At my confused look, he explained, “The scout flew faster than Abaddon’s army.They’re not even here yet.” He shook his head. “No, the ones already in the palace are from Ashtaroth.”

My eyes widened. Shit. Well, that made more sense, at least.

Then it clicked. “She’s working with Abaddon. She managed to convince him to attack.”

“Apparently.” A muscle feathered in his jaw. “As I was talking to the guards and the staff outside, Ashtaroth’s people swarmed the hallway. We managed to fend them off, though at a great cost. There are currently no guards left outside the room. Ashtaroth wasn’t among those who found me here, but it’s only a matter of time until she learns where we are and shows up personally.” He paused, and it seemed like it took him some effort to say the next part. “I’m in no condition to fight her.”

“What?” My eyes darted to his injury.

The one he’d gotten from only a skirmish with lower-ranking demons.

Lucifer’s features turned hard. “I am…impaired. After the transfer, my power doesn’t work as it used to.” He rubbed a hand over his face and half turned away, frustration rolling off him like steam. “I don’t know how to wield it properly. I’ve never had to fight like this. Even without knowing, I always had access to the greater power afforded by my origins, and now that I am without it—now that I am reduced to the strength of a regular demon—the same things I used to do in a fight fail me. Hence, this.” He gestured at the wound on his shoulder.

“You can’t fight?” I croaked, panic squeezing my chest.

“Not against an archdemon, no.” He bared his teeth. “Which is why you need to shake off your inertia and get ready. If we can’t manage to wake Azazel in time, you’re the best bet against Ashtaroth.”

“Me?” The question came out high-pitched and definitely panicky.

“Do you see anyone else on archdemon level around here?” he snapped. “If Azazel were awake, this entire thing would be over in a matter of minutes with that new power he received, but he’s out cold. I’ve tried to rouse him—and you—for the better part of an hour already, and seeing as I could only get you to wake, you’re it. You’re bonded with Azazel, and through him, you’ve got access to his archdemon powers…” His voice trailed off, and he stared at me, his eyes widening.

Realization trickled in. I resisted it. “Nooooo,” I whispered in full-on denial.

“Yes,” he whispered right back. “I hadn’t considered that. Though it only makes sense.”

“No,” I repeated, shaking my head and trying to meld with the couch.

He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and got right up in my face. “Search for it. Go deep. What do you feel?”

I kept shaking my head, fear scrambling my thoughts and making me tremble. “Nothing,” I squeaked. “Nope. Definitely not the power of death or anything.”

Lucifer shook me hard. “This is not the time for anxiety. You’re not a human any longer. You’ve been through shit that would have crippled others, but you came out stronger on the other side. And now you need to step the fuck up and act like the demon you are.” He flashed his teeth at me. “You don’t shy away from a challenge. You meet it head-on.”

My pulse ticking far too fast, I stared at him.

“You meet it head-on, Zoe,” Lucifer repeated with emphasis, his voice low and full of determination.

I swallowed hard and closed my eyes.Deep breath. And another. And another.

On the next exhale, I turned my senses inward. Felt for it. Touched and probed that power that had always flowed overfrom the bond and melded with mine to the point where I couldn’t distinguish where my energy ended and Azazel’s began.

But where I’d sensed the fiery magic of Hell before, the burning hot power of an archdemon that rushed through my veins and infused my own strength, I now touched…death.

Cold. Dark. Endless.

And I didn’t just feel it on the other side of the bond. It wasn’t isolated to Azazel.

It was in me.

When I opened my eyes again, Lucifer flinched back slightly. I wondered if he saw the same kind of otherness reflected on my face that I’d seen on his when he’d had one of his eldritch horror episodes.

“That’s right,” I said softly, holding his gaze. “This is what you looked like before.” I waved at my face. “Creepy. Unhinged. The perfect Halloween decoration.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. Just a little, just for a second. “Can you wield it?” he asked, his lagoon-colored eyes boring into me.

My brows drew together, and I opened my mouth, then paused. “I…don’t know,” I said after a moment. “How am I supposed to wield it? What do I do?”

Lucifer was silent, his face pensive. “I used it without thinking. Like regular demon powers, I guess. Which is probably why I never realized how much there actually was. So, just”—he waved his hand—“throw it out as you would your usual magic.”

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